Who is Sheila Al-Ruwaili, first Saudi woman on SAMA board?

Sheila Atheeb Al-Ruwailim one of the directors’ members of (SAMA)

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a royal order to appoint board members of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), who are non-government employees.

The list included Sheila Atheeb Al-Ruwaili, the first Saudi woman to be appointed to SAMA’s board of directors.

Born in 1966, Al-Ruwaili earned a Bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from King Faisal University in 1987.

She also acquired a Master of business administration (MBA) in finance management from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, in 1997, in addition to an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, in 2018.

Al-Ruwaili is Wisayah Investment Co.’s CEO since 2019. She previously held several top positions in Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco), Aramco Services Co. and Saudi Aramco Investment Management Co.

She is currently a board member at Saudi Aramco Power Co. (SAPCO), Hassana Investment Co., Wisayah Investment Co. and Saudi National Bank (SNB).

Al-Ruwaili led many of Saudi Aramco’s innovative projects, in addition to her participation in leading the team setting up Wisayah Investment, a global investment management company responsible for investing in Saudi Aramco's pension funds.